Holiday season to bring hi-tech fun with apps

This holiday season will be both a splurge and save season for toys. Parents will splurge for one or two toys, but will round out their holiday shopping with less expensive items, according to Adrienne Appell, a spokesperson for the Toy Industry Association.


App toys, which can be used with iPads, will be a bigger part of the mix this year. Their small size and under-$20 price tag makes them a perfect fit for drug retailers. “App toy sales have picked up, and it will be interesting to see how they shape up,” Appell said. “Manufacturers have pretty robust offerings this year.”


Play is activated by using the actual toy on the iPad’s screen after activating the app with a free download. A number of app toys are tied to popular licenses.


Mattel has a full line of hot licenses in its Apptivity line of app toys, including Fruit Ninja, Angry Birds, Hot Wheels and Monster High. Apptivity single packs retail for $9.99, and starter set two-packs with included accessories retail for $19.99. All are screen-safe for use with the iPad.


Pressman Toy also has introduced iPieces, a toy that allows consumers to turn an iPad into an on-the-go family game board when they download classic board games apps. The iPieces app toys retail 
for $9.99.


The re-launch of Furby and the upcoming Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle movie should have an impact on holiday toy sales. Collectables, with their relatively low prices, continue to be popular gift choices in a sluggish economy.


Appell said glow-in-the-dark crafts and blocks also have been popular 
with kids.

The article above is part of the DSN Category Review Series. For the complete Toys & Games/Crafts Buy-In Report, including extensive charts, data and more analysis, click here.